leadweight
Contributor
Executive summary: One week on the Belize Aggressor plus 5 more days on Ambergris Caye. Eleven consecutive days of diving, 33 dives, almost 33 hours of bottom time. It was wonderful.
We arrived at Belize airport and were picked up by vans sent by the Aggressor. Dinner was barbecued chicken served at the dock. We stayed tied up until about 4 am and headed out to Turneffe Atol. On Sunday I did 5 dives with over 5 hours of bottom time. Monday we headed out to Lighthouse where we would stay for the rest of the trip.
There are more fish at Lighthouse reef than anywhere else I have ever been in the Caribbean. Tons of jacks and chubs gather under the Aggressor, drawn by the sound of its generators. The boat swings in a wide arc providing a neat ride while hanging from the bar. Tuesday we did the Blue Hole. It is a different sort of dive, that is all I can say. 141 feet, 38 minutes. Most of the dives have a sheer wall with a shallow top of 25 or 30 feet. Perfect if you like to stay down for over an hour. The night dive Thursday was a 72 minute lobster fest.
Food is good, but not great. (Some of the diners were great, but one breakfast and two of the lunches were just slightly off.) It is mostly american style with a bit of Mexican and Belize thrown in.
The dive deck was absolutely the best that I have ever seen. Lots of room between the tanks which are filled with high pressure hoses without breaking down your gear between dives. Unfortunately, the Nitrox system broke down on the second day. They did not charge for the Nitrox used on the first few dives. Beer and wine is included. Cabins were small but you don't spend much time in there awake. They are kept tidy by the crew.
Friday night we return to Belize City. Only two dives on Friday and one is before breakfast. I have added 24 dives to my logbook. Dinner is off the boat that night (cook's night off). Next morning we depart. A taxi takes us to the municipal airport for the short flight to Ambergris.
It's our third trip to AC. After we get our bags at San Pedro I get out my dive gear and stuff it into a mesh bag. The taxi drops me at the Belize Yacht Club & and the Mermaid goes on to the hotel, Corona Del Mar. I walk out to the dock and say high to my friends at Pro Tech Belize in time to catch the boat for the second dive of the day. (At AC the boats come back to the dock to change tanks between dives as the reef is very close.) Four more days of great diving follow.
Our Divemaster, Junior, is really fine. When some inexperienced divers run low on air he takes them up to 15 feet and continues the dive while we follow from below. The typical dive at AC starts and ends in about 45 to 50 feet of water. Maximum depth is necessarily limited to 70 or 80 feet or you will just run out of bottom time. You can get more by using Nitrox. Pro Tech makes the only Nitrox on AC. They sell it to other shops, but are going to have a ton of it ready at the dock whether you ask for it in advance or not. That week the owner Ronni gave a Buddy Inspiration closed circuit rebreather course to one of his customers.
A really great AC dive is one where you jump in the water, and are greeted by 4 nurse sharks and 6 big Nassau grouper. After that the sharks continue to check out the divers. Find an eel or two and say hi to the lobsters.
We stayed at Corona del Mar, also know as Woodies. It is a 16 room hotel with a B&B atmosphere. Off season rates are low. The owner lives on the property. I highly recommend it. And, while you are there don't miss the Pineapplie Willie band.
We arrived at Belize airport and were picked up by vans sent by the Aggressor. Dinner was barbecued chicken served at the dock. We stayed tied up until about 4 am and headed out to Turneffe Atol. On Sunday I did 5 dives with over 5 hours of bottom time. Monday we headed out to Lighthouse where we would stay for the rest of the trip.
There are more fish at Lighthouse reef than anywhere else I have ever been in the Caribbean. Tons of jacks and chubs gather under the Aggressor, drawn by the sound of its generators. The boat swings in a wide arc providing a neat ride while hanging from the bar. Tuesday we did the Blue Hole. It is a different sort of dive, that is all I can say. 141 feet, 38 minutes. Most of the dives have a sheer wall with a shallow top of 25 or 30 feet. Perfect if you like to stay down for over an hour. The night dive Thursday was a 72 minute lobster fest.
Food is good, but not great. (Some of the diners were great, but one breakfast and two of the lunches were just slightly off.) It is mostly american style with a bit of Mexican and Belize thrown in.
The dive deck was absolutely the best that I have ever seen. Lots of room between the tanks which are filled with high pressure hoses without breaking down your gear between dives. Unfortunately, the Nitrox system broke down on the second day. They did not charge for the Nitrox used on the first few dives. Beer and wine is included. Cabins were small but you don't spend much time in there awake. They are kept tidy by the crew.
Friday night we return to Belize City. Only two dives on Friday and one is before breakfast. I have added 24 dives to my logbook. Dinner is off the boat that night (cook's night off). Next morning we depart. A taxi takes us to the municipal airport for the short flight to Ambergris.
It's our third trip to AC. After we get our bags at San Pedro I get out my dive gear and stuff it into a mesh bag. The taxi drops me at the Belize Yacht Club & and the Mermaid goes on to the hotel, Corona Del Mar. I walk out to the dock and say high to my friends at Pro Tech Belize in time to catch the boat for the second dive of the day. (At AC the boats come back to the dock to change tanks between dives as the reef is very close.) Four more days of great diving follow.
Our Divemaster, Junior, is really fine. When some inexperienced divers run low on air he takes them up to 15 feet and continues the dive while we follow from below. The typical dive at AC starts and ends in about 45 to 50 feet of water. Maximum depth is necessarily limited to 70 or 80 feet or you will just run out of bottom time. You can get more by using Nitrox. Pro Tech makes the only Nitrox on AC. They sell it to other shops, but are going to have a ton of it ready at the dock whether you ask for it in advance or not. That week the owner Ronni gave a Buddy Inspiration closed circuit rebreather course to one of his customers.
A really great AC dive is one where you jump in the water, and are greeted by 4 nurse sharks and 6 big Nassau grouper. After that the sharks continue to check out the divers. Find an eel or two and say hi to the lobsters.
We stayed at Corona del Mar, also know as Woodies. It is a 16 room hotel with a B&B atmosphere. Off season rates are low. The owner lives on the property. I highly recommend it. And, while you are there don't miss the Pineapplie Willie band.
